


breath in, breath out

by miohko



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Asexual Tsukishima Kei, Asexual Yamaguchi Tadashi, Coming Out, Karasuno Family, Nonbinary Tsukishima, Other, nonbinary yamaguchi, the karasuno team love each other so much, they aren't technically together at this time but it could be read as if they are?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:53:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28675509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miohko/pseuds/miohko
Summary: It started with just a couple simple words. Whispered to each other in the dark. Two kids, ages 14 and 15, both pretending they were asleep at their weekly sleepover.“Tsukki?” their voice was barely even a whisper.“Yes, Tadashi?”“I think I’m ace.”
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 79





	breath in, breath out

**Author's Note:**

> listen i was said and yearning so naturally i projected onto two of my comfort characters and made my other comfort characters love them unconditionally. what else was i supposed to do
> 
> anyways this is my first haikyuu fic so i hope its ok? might not be completely in character but i wrote this while Yearning so can you really blame me

It started with just a couple simple words. Whispered to each other in the dark. Two kids, ages 14 and 15, both pretending they were asleep at their weekly sleepover.

“Tsukki?” their voice was barely even a whisper.

“Yes, Tadashi?”

“I think I’m ace.”

“Oh... me too.”

Then again, a couple months later, both 15.

“Tadashi?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I might be nonbinary.”

A moment of silence, as if Yamaguchi was thinking. Tsukishima didn’t mistake it for hatred. They knew Yamaguchi would stay by their side no matter what. 

“What are your pronouns?” they finally asked.

“He and they, I think.”

Yamaguchi’s voice lowered, if it was even possible. “I think mine are they and them.”

They had held each other’s hands, laying next to each other on the floor. They had said nothing else that night, content to just be at each other’s side 

In other friendships the silence may have been awkward, may have led one to believe they didn't accept the other. But for Tsukki and Yamaguchi, sometimes it was their wordless conversation that meant more than speaking out loud. So they lay there in the dark, content and relieved.

They told their team a few months later, after nights spent talking together, finding out what terms they were comfortable with and how they wanted to come out. First they pulled Takeda aside after practice. Yamaguchi fidgeted nervously as Tsukki explained, occasionally jumping in when needed.

Takeda smiled, thanked them for trusting him, said he accepted them and cared about them just as much as before. He asked if they would stay on the volleyball team, and they immediately said yes.

The two had already discussed it in length. Yamaguchi loved volleyball too much, and if they left the team there wouldn’t be any other options. They don’t know what they would do without the team anyway. Tsukki was just as obsessed, even if he’d rather die than admit it. Dysphoria would occasionally be an issue, but they had already been on the team for this long.

They explained their plan to Takeda, and the next day, the team was pulled aside for a meeting after a few practice sets. Takeda had already told Ukai, who had agreed to help and tell Yamaguchi and Tsukishima's teachers. The rest of the team had no clue why they were being pulled aside so suddenly, especially Kageyama and Hinata, who were practically vibrating in place, wanting to get back to the game. 

Tsukki rolled his eyes, but they were clearly standing more stiff than normal. Yamaguchi was shaking a little. The two pressed their arms against each other in an attempt to comfort. Only Suga seemed to notice their slight change in character, and he frowned at them questioningly. Yamaguchi gave a small, nervous smile, hoping it would be enough.

Yamaguchi and Tsukki agreed to have Takeda help them come out to the team. It had been difficult enough telling their advisor, telling the whole team by themselves seemed terrifying.

Takeda sent a quick supportive smile to Tsukki and Yamaguchi before he began to speak. “I’ve just pulled you aside for a quick announcement. Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. Two of your teammates want to tell you something, and asked me to help.” Kei and Tadashi each take a deep breath. Breath in, breath out, as Tsukki had reminded Yamaguchi a few minutes ago when he felt close to passing out from nerves. “Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are nonbinary.”

Silence for a moment, the team was clearly processing, then Nishinoya raises his hand. Takeda nods in his direction, giving him the go ahead to speak. _Breath in, breath out,_ Yamaguchi reminded themself

“What are your pronouns?” He directs the question to the two nervous kids.

No anger, no laughing, no disrespect that the two were so terrified to hear. Just the question they had been waiting for. The perfect one.

Yamaguchi lets out a breath. “They and them.”

“He or they,” Tsukki said after.

“Sorry, what does that mean?” Hinata asks. Not harshly, but genuinely confused. Yamaguchi glances to Takeda, and the advisor takes that as his cue to speak.

“For Yamaguchi, they don’t use he/him pronouns like you do. They don’t feel connected to being a male, so they're either neither or somewhere inbetween a boy and a girl,” Takeda explains.

“Neither” Yamaguchi adds with a small smile.

“And Tsukishima still feels somewhat connected to being a guy, but not fully. You can use he or they pronouns interchangeably for them.”

Hinata nods, still a bit confused, but beginning to understand.

Asahi speaks next. “What terms are you guys comfortably using? Can we use ‘dude’ or ‘bro’ to refer to the whole team.”

Yamaguchi nods, and Tsukishima explains. “Were fine with terms like that if they’re used in a gender neutral way.”

“You’ll still be playing for us right?” 

Kageyama’s voice. It was the first time he spoke since the meeting began. 

Tanaka slaps him upside the head. “Can you get your mind off of volleyball for two seconds?” He scolds.

“Yeah, we are,” Tadashi finally says after the two stop bickering. 

Kageyama smiles fiercely. If the two didn’t know Kageyama well enough, they wouldn’t have been able to tell that this was acceptance and support. But they had been playing with the guy for months now, and they knew what he meant even if he didn’t know how to say it out loud.

“Thank you for trusting us with this,” Suga says. The team nods in agreement. Suga said what they had all thought.

Breath in, breath out.

Tsukki and Yamaguchi realized they had been holding hands without realizing, but neither let go, Tsukki gave a small squeeze, and Yamaguchi returned it. They were loved, they had support. 

Maybe it’ll take a while for them to fully understand, but they accepted them. And that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> tsukki and tadashi: we’re ace  
> hinata, resident dumbass: but asahi’s the ace????
> 
> I never really know how to respond to comments but I just want to say thank you so much ily <3 go drink some water and take off your binder for a bit if you wear one :)))


End file.
